


childhood promises fulfilled

by Itch



Series: Sylvix Week 2019 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Fight Scene, Happy Ending, M/M, Major Character Injury, Major character death - Freeform, Post Time Skip, Sylvixweek2019, sylvain in golden deer, sylvix week day 1, there is a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 09:37:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21013658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itch/pseuds/Itch
Summary: The problem with promises is that once you've made one, it's bound to be broken. It's like an unspoken cosmic rule. Sylvain and Felix don't know this when they're children and they promised to die together, friend's until the end. The cosmos however, always remembers.





	childhood promises fulfilled

**Author's Note:**

> Thank u very much to the sylvix squad discord for keeping me sane during writing this and the others and I hope people like it!

**** _~ The problem with promises is that once you've made one, it's bound to be broken. It's like an unspoken cosmic rule – Bree Despain, The Dark Divine ~_

Sunlight spread in golden waves across the field where the soldiers stood waiting, the rays glinting merrily off the dew in the grass and the shining metal armours of the men and women in the neat line. The army was mostly silent, the only sounds that of the horse's snuffling and stamping their hooves in the grass, and the occasional _chink _of the steel as people bumped into one another. The tension was palpable. They were all watching the horizon, waiting to see the enemy – were they really the enemies? - forces. They had received word via scout that this would be the path they were taking, under Claude's guidance, they had come to meet them.

Sylvain ran a gloved hand through his hair, the other hand resting keeping his lance in his lap. His horse shuffled a little, throwing her head in the air, making her reins jingle and he shushed her, lowering his hand to pat her neck. His eyes were focused on the edge of the world, waiting to see the 'enemy' leader with his own eyes, even though he knew who it was. He knew who would be leading the army, who would have his head held high and weapon primed for an attack. Dimitri had returned from what they'd believed to be the dead, and Felix, being Felix, had returned to the princeling's side. The rumours said Dimitri had lost his mind somewhere in the wilderness, ghosts from his past catching up to him and dragging him down into the abyss of insanity. Felix had held onto Sylvain's sleeves and asked Sylvain to go too, back to Fhirdiad to rejoin Dimitri in his fight against the Flame Emperor – Edelgard. They had had an argument about it.

Felix had yelled, thrown things, slammed Sylvain against a wall and held him there, demanding to know why he was being so disloyal to the man they'd been friends with all their lives. Sylvain in turn had spun Felix around, pressing the smaller man to the wall and asked him why he was so intent on defending him now. After all the years Felix had harped on calling Dimitri boar, and an animal, he was changing allegiances, for what? For honour? For family pride? Felix hadn't answered him, he'd just gathered his things and said 'you wouldn't understand' and left. Felix was right, Sylvain didn't understand. Felix's brother was one of those ghosts haunting Dimitri, he knew that. He knew Dimitri probably saw Glenn's face in the darkness of closed eyelids, heard his voice before he fell asleep at night, and he was sickly glad about it. Dimitri should have tried _harder _those years ago to keep Glenn alive. Instead, Glenn died, and was left in the fields of Duscur to fertilise a field of flowers alongside countless others, and it had torn the four of them in cardinal directions away from one another.

The pegasus knight they had sent to scout came back, swooping low over them. A murmur passed through the ranks in a game of Chinese Whispers – they were coming, Dimitri was leading them, he was armed, they were all armed. They also said it wasn't the most bulky army, not many people in it. Sylvain wasn't fooled however. He knew the people that Dimitri would bring to this. They didn't _need_ to bring many. Especially with Dimitri and Felix in their ranks. He shook his reins and directed his horse to the right, beckoning to a few men to follow. He weaved his horse in and out of the trees of the forest lining the road, hunkering down against her back, letting her dark colouring camouflage him into the shadows. A sneak attack to the phalanx would damage their numbers, and Dimitri would never see it coming. Sylvain knew how Dimitri could get. His mind fractured, darkness seeping out and infected the rest of it. Claude's wyvern was a stunning white on the front line, so bright he could be seen from Sylvain's current position, and he watched his leader. Claude would give the first strike. He held his breath as footsteps approached.

Felix kept one hand on his sword, they knew what was up ahead. Dimitri wanted to just... talk to Claude, to ask him if they could join forces in the march on Enbarr and the search for Rhea. Felix could see the mop of blonde hair and heavy cloak leading the party and he felt a pang of pain shoot through him. Dimitri wasn't just alive, he was sane, with good objectives and a sorrow for what he'd done in his chest. He had even apologised to Felix, down on one knee despite being the ruler of an entire country, hand over his heart. Dimitri wasn't just alive and sane, he was... oddly whole again for the first time since his parents had been killed. Felix looked up at the sky, the blue unmarked by clouds. It was a beautiful day. It reminded him of a time he and Sylvain had come here, together, before he had word Dimitri was--

Dimitri signalled for everyone to stop, and they did. Felix nearly bumped into the cavalier in front of him as they all abruptly came to a halt, scowling at the horse's back end. He'd never been a fan of the horses, never understood the appeal of an animal that was both bigger than you, and arguably smarter as well. That's why he liked cats. They were intelligent, but he was undeniably bigger than them. He heard Dimitri speaking to someone, probably Dedue, when there was a metallic _ting. _The sound of an arrow bouncing off armour. Above them, rising into the blue sky was Claude von Riegan atop of a snow coloured wyvern, bow drawn. He could see an arrow notched in the bow and he ducked, just in time. The Alliance's army was declaring attack. Dimitri stood tall and bellowed, lance in the air for everyone to see.

“Move out! Stop the attack! Use whatever force necessary!” Felix dived into the fray, sword singing as he drew her from the sheath.

Sylvain was unmounted, his horse lost somewhere in the forest behind him. He'd made a mental note to come back and find her once the battle was done even though the chances of that were slim, he wanted to try. Sylvain didn't like to leave a man, or woman (a mare), behind. There was a small pile of enemies now stacking up around him as he fought what he refused to believe was a losing battle. The people he'd had as back up in the trees had fled once they became outnumbered, but he was too stubborn for that. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it wasn't stubbornness keeping him hidden in the trees. It's was the desire to avoid Dimitri. He didn't want to come face to face with the man he once would have described as his close friend. Dimitri could kill him in one swing, and Sylvain knew it. If he was going down, he was going down in a fight, and he was taking soldiers down with him. He slammed the Lance of Ruin down into one of the footmen dressed in blue, planting his foot on the man's thigh to wrench it back out again. Blood flew in an arch from the wound and splattered across Sylvain's face. _Gross, _he thought as he spun round, weapon at neck height of the next enemy. He stopped the spin dead when he realised who it was facing him. Felix blew a strand of dark hair from his face, his gaze meeting Sylvain's.

“You.”

“You.”

They circled each other like trapped hyenas, each weapon perfectly poised to strike at any given moment. In Sylvian's stomach, nausea was eating at him. He didn't want to fight Felix. He didn't want to do this, but he didn't have a choice in it. Felix's sword was held in two hands, keeping it balanced and ready to take a heavy hit from the larger man. Sylvain's lance was in front of him like a makeshift shield, ready for Felix to make the first move. Felix always made the first move. It was like his signature, and Sylvain knew it from the countless times they'd sparred as both adults and children. Felix _always_ liked to get in there first. He spun the lance around, letting a smile brush across his face.

“Didn't think I'd see you here.” Friendly conversation was worth a shot. Maybe he could get Felix to put the sword down and just pretend they hadn't seen each other, go separate ways again unscathed.

“Shut up Gautier.” Felix spat, launching himself forward, sword at an angle to try and tuck underneath the spear. Sylvain twisted, using the shaft of his weapon to deflect the sword.

“Now now, is that any way to speak to an old friend?” His voice was almost a purr as he swept a leg out, tripping Felix. The swordsman landed in the dirt with a thump. Sylvain stood over him, weapon in hand, frozen. _He- _his thoughts were disrupted as Felix lashed out, kicking Sylvain in the knee. Sylvain hissed, stumbling backwards. He had basically had has an opening there, and he hadn't taken it. He'd let himself get hit back. He could have been killed. Would Felix kill him? The sword whistling past his ear, the soft _snick_ of hair being cut by it and then the sting as his ear lobe was caught answered his question. Felix _would _kill him. In fact he's actively trying to. “You're actually trying to kill me Fe?” He deflected the next hit, grounding himself. “What about our old promise huh? That we would one day die together? That we couldn't live without one another?” He bounced more hits off the lance shaft, not letting himself be pushed backwards and cornered.

“That was before you betrayed another friend.” Felix threw himself at Sylvain and Sylvain ducked, slipping to the left, catching Felix's hip with the tip of the lance and he gritted his teeth.

“Dimitri killed people Felix, he killed innocent people who didn't deserve to die.” He'd heard all the stories. Anyone who went just too close to a certain place in the forests didn't come back, the rumours of a blond haired man, hulking above average men. He'd known it was Dimitri the first time someone had described him, especially as they said they'd narrowly dodged a spear. He knew people died as part of war, but not just... people. Not just anyone. Felix saw Sylvain was distracted, and flew forwards in a blur of black, white and teal, taking the opening. A light shone from Felix's hands, the crest of Fraldarius etching itself in the air as it activated.

Sylvain paused. Something was... wrong. He swallowed thickly, head feeling suddenly full of cotton wool. His vision swam and his head dropped, and he saw a sword jutting out of his stomach, slotted right in between the gap in his armour. Felix's gloved hands were clasped tightly around the hilt. Sylvain couldn't see them shaking, but they were. Felix's whole body was shaking in regret as Sylvain dropped down to his knees and the gravity of what he'd done sunk in. He bit the inside of his cheek, falling in front of Sylvain, cupping his face in his hands.

“Sylvain. Sylvain, no, I didn't, I wasn't thinking-” He gasped as something stung his side. He reached a hand down to find Sylvain's lance deep in his side. “Oh.” He put his hand back on Sylvain's face, ignoring the way he left a smear of blood on his face.

“We promised each other,” Sylvain wheezed, pressing his forehead to Felix's. They were both sweating, but it wasn't from warmth. In fact, Sylvain felt cold. He understood why people said it felt like ice was in their veins, because it truly felt like someone had injected him with ice cold water and it was mingling with his blood, shooting around his body. He pushed himself backwards, leaning his back up against a large oak. “I don't break my promises Felix. I wasn't letting you go on without me.” He smiled, blood slick over his teeth and he spat a mouthful onto the ground. “Dying hurts more than I thought it would.” Felix laughed weakly and collapsed next to him, pulling the lance from his side and throwing it a short distance away.

“I didn't mean to kill you. It sounds stupid now, but it's true. I just wanted... wanted to hurt you. Maim you a bit. So you couldn't keep fighting and get yourself killed.” His chest was feeling tight. Despite the fact it was encroaching on midday, it seemed to be getting dark now. Maybe that was to do with the whole blood loss thing.

“If anyone had to kill me on the field of battle, I'm glad it was you.” Sylvain rested his cheek on the top of Felix's head, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. He gritted his teeth and wrenched the sword from his stomach and pressed his hand to the wound, feeling the blood ooze between his fingers. He had no chance of surviving this, not unless Mercedes or Marianne got over here like, right _now_. Felix made a quiet noise of pain and he buried his face into Sylvain's shoulder.

“I would say there's no one else I wanted to die next to,” Felix muttered, his hand finding Sylvain and they laced their fingers together. “but I just would rather not die at all.” Sylvain squeezed Felix's hand gently. He felt tired now, _really_ tired. He sort of wanted to yawn, but it wasn't that kind of tired. It was a bone deep exhaustion that made his body feel heavy and impossible to move.

“I'm glad to die with you Felix. There isn't anyone else I'd rather die holding hands with.” Sylvain managed to move slightly, pressing a delicate kiss into Felix's hair.

Dimitri pushed his hair out of his face with one hand, looking around the field. It was nigh on a massacre. Claude was stood in front of him, bow hanging loosely in his grip.

“We surrender.” He whispered, throwing the bow at Dimitri's feet. Dimitri watched it land, and he bent to pick it up, handing it back.

“Heal your people, and then allow us to come with you back to the monastery. We can join forces and do this together.” Claude's smile was weary, but bright, and they shook hands over it before turning back to their armies to round people up and get them fixed up. Dimitri did a head count of the people he'd brought and then realised someone was missing. A shudder went down his spine as he called out for Felix. Claude looked over his shoulder as he heard Dimitri shout and he turned to ask Sylvain if he'd seen Felix. That's when he realised Sylvain wasn't there either. The field became full of cries for the two men, both searching for them, wanting to tell them there was a truce, that it was over, they were all going home together. Ashe was the one who noticed Sylvain's horse stood chewing grass at the edge of the forest, which is what alerted them to being possibly in there. Ingrid was the one who actually found them, her scream echoing back out to the others who ran in, Claude catching her in a hug and pulling her against his chest, away from them. Mercedes was the one who took their pulse and shook her head, standing back up and nearly falling as she gave them space. Sylvain and Felix were leant against a tree, almost as if they were sleeping. The pool of blood around them showed they weren't asleep though. Dimitri just let out a heavy sigh and knelt down beside him, a hand resting over Felix's.

“Oh old friend...” He looked over his shoulder at Mercedes who seemed to be paralysed, eyes shiny with tears. “Please, get some of the wyvern rider's, or cavaliers. We can't leave them here.” She nodded once, and then more, running back off towards the field. Dimitri closed his eyes, imagining the last smile he ever saw on Sylvain's face, and the last time Felix looked at him with that stern gaze. There was one thing that consoled his mind, and it was the fact Felix and Sylvain were together.

The ceremony they held was small one, solemn and quiet. Ingrid sobbed into Dimitri's shoulder, hands buried in the ratty furs around his shoulders, and Claude was stood on his other side, hand around Dimitri's elbow in a comforting gesture. Upon Dimitri's demands, they were buried together, their headstone made of the finest marble, a neat engraving in the middle, their crests inscribed at the bottom. As the meagre crowd who had gathered to watch the coffin be lowered in dispersed, rain began to fall. Dimitri let out a quiet laugh at the irony of the situation and he looked up at the sky. He wasn't about to let them die in vain. They were going to win this war.

After the rain, the Faerghus chill set in, freezing the droplets that ran down the grave, forming in and around the letters.

_Duke Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Margrave Sylvain Jose Gautier _

_1163 – 1185 & 1160 – 1185_

_Together_

Sylvain opened his eyes. A breeze perfumed with the smell of spring flowers washed over his nose and he sat up, brow furrowed as he looked around. It was the field they had just been in, except it was empty. It was just lush grass and wild flowers for as far as the eye could see. No people. No army, readying for a fight to the death. He looked down, noticing the coppery colour of dried blood over most of his armour. _So, did that mean he was..._

“Sylvain.” A voice made him look up, and suddenly he didn't care. Felix was sat within arm's reach, looking as confused as he felt. “What...” Sylvain didn't waste any time as he moved, throwing himself at Felix to pull him into a tight embrace, knocking the wind out of both of them. When they collided memories flooded back, the earthy smell of the forest, the blood, the _cold_, and the darkness that seeped from all sides and drowned them. They didn't need to actually say it out loud, they knew what had happened. They didn't know why they were suddenly back here, but the fact they were 'alive' was enough. There in the grass Sylvain spilled words he should have said when they were alive, telling Felix how much he loved him, how much he had _always _loved him, always wanted to hold Felix in his arms as his own. And now, maybe he could? They had eternity after all. In the field, surrounded by flowers, they did things they had always wanted to do. Exchanged heated kisses they wished would never end, told each other _I love you_, because they did, they always _had _done, but never found a right time to say it. They cried together too, apologising for the dying business, but what could they do about it now?

Turns out they weren't alone in the field, especially once it stopped being a field. It became many places, Fhirdiad in the spring, the forests in wall, fire coloured leaves falling around them like rain, the academy at night time, the silence somewhat eerie but also comforting. It was nice tom know that no one else from school was there... yet. Lambert was there, smiling at the two boys with a sadness in his eyes. He hadn't wanted to see them here so young. Glenn was there too and he tried to punch Felix for dying, but Sylvain stood between them, telling Glenn he had died first, and if anyone should be punching someone, he should he on the receiving end. It was meeting Miklan again that Sylvain liked the most. The brothers hugged, cried, and apologised. For everything. He had Miklan back. He only had to die to do it. He also finally had Felix, _his _Felix, who he could sleep curled up against every night, eat every meal with, and laugh with every day. For however days there were left in eternity.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's Day One of Sylvix week posted!   
Please leave a like, a comment, and find me on social media @:  
> nothinggoeshere (twitter)   
> synergygabriel (tumblr)   
> whodoesntlovesylvix (tumblr)


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